The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-11-10

glimpse around the distant bend in the river
till slowly vessels rounded in. After first
learning that all was well with him who was
all in all. then addressed myself to the work
Of helping to care for the dead, dying and
wounded, who lay on the slippery decks and
crowded cabins. Who could forget the dread
ordeal of seeing friend after friend borne away
to the tomb, the hospital, the amputating table,
or stretched on cots of suffering; or the an
guish over the realization Of wars unutterabls
horrors, and the suffering to those most inno-
cent in its precipitation
THIS FIRST INITIATION
was scarcely over when rumors were flying of
another move. and this time to a larger field
and for long campaign And though the
rains still came down and the country south Of
=" Mason and Dixon's Line" was almost covered
with water, and the troops knew something of
what battles meant. they were impatient for
orders
Grant had been planning for
AN EFFECTUAL BLOW
at Bowling Green and Columbus, and thereby
relieve the Valley of the Mississippi from the
thrsldom Of the enemy. Fort Henry, on the
Tennessee, and Fort DOnelson, on the Cum
berland, must be captured ere this could be
accomplished. The heavy rains before men
toned had so swollen these usually shallow
rivers that transports and gunboats could be
taken even above these forts. Summoning all
the available troops at his command on the I'd
Of February, they were again embarked, this
time for the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.
Gen. Grant has most graphically described the
expedition; the landing of the land forces be-
low Fort Henry, and the taking of that fortif-
cation by the gunboats and naval forces. Con-
fning himself however to the military move
ments, he has not attempted to picture the
darkness OF the night preceding the assault, or
the wildness of the storm that burst upon the
army as they lay in their hasty camp, without
tents or protection, few miles below the fort;
or of how they toiled through slough and mud
to take their place in the siege in the rear,
should it come to that, through the failure of
the naval forces to accomplish their work.
Happily Foote and his gallant command poured
such storm of iron hail into the garrison that
despite the bravery of Gen. Tilghman and his
valiant men the surrender was inevitable, and
long before the army could reach their place
the victory was ours.
Another triumph for Western troops made
them more and more confident and daring.
Consequently when Grant said
"oN TO DoNELsoN,"
they were ready and anxious to go, though
the country was almost impossible on account
of the innumerable streams and swamps, now
trudge and artillery must be dragged; the
cavalry always more fortunate in its ability to
pick its way through the shallow places. With
courage unequalcd they fnally-oyer III miles
of mOrass and rayines-reached the line Of in
vestment. Wet, cold, hungry and exhausted,
the troops lay down supperless, the storm and
seet still pelting them pitilessly. All night,
while their clothing was freezing on them, not
a murmur was heard, though they knew by the
din within the fort that reinforcements were
arriving and that the dawn of the morrow
would bring on the combat, and that thou
sands of the foe were behind the strong forti-
fcstions, and must be dislodged. How this
was done, and the story of that hard-fought
battle, is not for me tell. OF the immortal
heroes who fell, wounded or killed, too much
could not be said.
A few days after the surrender, as walked
around the line Of Notifications and over the
held strewn with the new-made graves, and
in some cases unburied dead, and the long
trench, with nearly 200 Of the grand nth ILL.,
laid side by side in death as they had fought
in the siege, I turned away sick at heart, and
prayed God hasten the dawn of peace. For three
long wintry weeks / stayed in the desolate
town of Dover nursing Gen. Logan, whose
wound well-nigh cost him his life then. OF
his old regiment, who alternated with the 18th
in holding their part in the line when the
ammunition was almost gone, during the last
struggle before the surrender, could not write
the half feel; or Of the many whose names
have been since immortalized, who came TO
cheer Us ere they marched away to Shiloh, and.
alas! too many not to return from that san
culinary field; or Of the Headquarters boat, Uncle
Sam, where found Gen. Logan when arrived.
with Gen. Grant and his staff -Rawlins, Hill
yer, and Bowsrs-aH gone to that land where
war frowns not and peace smiles evermore.